1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and light-weight free-floating apparatus for rolling and un-rolling buoyant flexible swimming pool covers directly upon the surface water of the pool and within the perimeter of the pool edge, where the apparatus is secured upon the cover, midpoint of the cover, where also the apparatus is supported solely by the buoyancy of the flexible, pool cover.
2. Background Art
Buoyant flexible swimming pool covers are often cumbersome to handle when removing from and replacing to the surface water of the swimming pool. Typically this problem is overcome by the use of a reeling device which is supported by structures at the opposing ends of the spindle-core, where such structures are located beyond the perimeter of the swimming pool.
An example of such a device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,930 to Kalendovsky which discloses a composite reel member on which the cover is rolled as it is removed from the surface of the swimming pool water to a storage position. This method of removal requires a pair of supporting stands to each of which one end of the spindle-core member is journaled. The reel itself also requires on each end a hub member having an axle which is received in a bearing carried by each stand. To one end is attached a crank handle to provide rotation of the reel upon the axle. To remove the buoyant flexible pool cover from the surface water of the pool requires the cover to be fastened to the take-up reel. Removal is then facilitated by drawing the cover up off the surface water of the pool and onto the reel in a rolled fashion.
Other examples would include U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,370 to Feher and Guard Products, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,027 to Colon, of which both products are currently marketed in the pool industry. Problems associated with reeling devices which rely upon structural supports at opposing ends of the spindle-core are numerous and suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Devices are restricted to mounting; end supports beyond the perimeter of the swimming pool water, requiting the roll to be elevated above the surface water of the pool during the rolling operation. Elevation of the roll above the water: (1) temporarily suspends the cover between the surface water of the pool and the reel in an inclined manner while rolling and un-rolling the cover from the reel. During this time winds can get under the cover causing the cover to billow and wrinkle. When rolling the cover, wrinkling creates a bulky roll of the cover upon the reel, making the rolling process more difficult, and increases the time to properly roll the cover smoothly onto the reeling device. When un-rolling the cover, the presence of winds, can lift and billow the cover as winds get under the cover making it difficult for the cover to lay on the surface water of the pool and increases the time to finish the un-rolling task. (2) is objected to by many consumers because of the unsightliness of the reeling device mounted above the water which the device also creates an obstruction and hazard to the swimming pool area. PA1 (b) The foregoing types of reeling devices are also complex, containing parts which wear out such as bearings, and attachments for the cover, all of which add to the initial cost of the device, and the cost to maintain the device in proper working order. PA1 (c) Many swimming pools are often irregular in shape, having bottlenecks in the design. To remove the cover when the reeling device is located at the end of the swimming pool requires drawing the cover onto the reel through the irregular shapes and bottlenecks. This causes the cover to scrape against the side decking and restricts the passage of the cover in the direction of the reel and also creates undue wear and tear upon the cover as the cover scrapes against the decking of the swimming pool. In addition, the restriction adds an opposing resistance in the rolling direction, slowing the time to complete the task. PA1 (d) Ell shaped or severe kidney shaped swimming pool designs are also a problem for reeling devices when the body of the cover bends outside the bounds of the reel width. To draw the entire cover onto the reel requires offending shapes to be squared off to the width of the reel, otherwise the cover will extend past the end of the reel when rolled. To square off a cover requires the offending wide parts of the cover to be folded back onto the non-offending body of the cover. To accomplish this extra step adds to the time to complete the rolling task. Folding back the cover also increases the thickness of the cover in a non-uniform manner, promoting bulkiness and unsightliness to the roll. PA1 (e) Rolling the cover squarely onto the reel is another major problem with the device located at the end of the pool. Unless the cover is rolled squarely onto the reel, the cover will creep in a spiral manner to one side of the reel, and drag against the reel support stand. This drag not only increases the time and effort to turn the reel upon the reel axle, but also creates wear and tear upon the cover material as it rubs against the stand. To accomplish this task properly, the reel must initially be square to the cover, and must be kept square throughout the rolling process. If the support stands of the reel are not anchored in some manner to the deck or pool, the reel can move, failing to maintain squareness to the cover throughout the rolling process. Related to subparagraph (c) above, while drawing the cover onto the reel, bottlenecks in the pool design can cause the cover to tug against the reel, in an opposing direction, causing the reel to move. PA1 (a) utilizes the buoyancy of the pool cover for support to float on the surface water of the pool within the perimeter of the pool therefore: (1) is not effected by winds during the rolling and un-rolling process thereby being extremely fast, easy, and uncomplicated to operate; (2) provides a neat, clean appearance and is not an obstruction or hazard to the pool area when not in use. PA1 (b) is uncomplicated requiring no bearings or reliance upon other operative elements other than the crank handle, requires less maintenance to own, and thus is of lower cost to the consumer. PA1 (c) providing an improved means for removing covers from irregular shaped swimming pools which also suffer from the restriction bottlenecks pose while drawing the cover upon the surface water of the pool; PA1 (d) providing an improved means for removing covers from ell shaped or severe kidney shaped swimming pools where covers are often wider than the roll width; PA1 (e) providing an improved means for rolling a cover squarely onto a rolling device.
In addition, the most common method employed by the industry today entails placement of the roll at the end of the pool. It would otherwise be difficult to move the roll out of the way when the pool was in use. Placement of the reel at the end of the pool suffers from the following limitations and difficulties:
The inventive concept of rolling and winding materials from a midpoint is known in the art as for example, Heuer U.S. Pat. No. 2,350,758, Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,339, and Hollowell U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,646. However, these devices are not "free-floating" as within the scope of this pool cover rolling device, and all rely upon anchoring of at least one end of the material, which is relieved within the aquatic environment of the present invention. Furthermore, the case of the Hollowell device requires a slack tensioner, and consequently could not be used to satisfy the requirement of the present invention which is to provide a light-weight free-floating tubular spindle-core for rolling buoyant flexible pool coverings directly upon the surface water of the pool without the need; for additional structural elements as sited in the prior art.